The jingling sound after midnight of a noodle seller helps his 2 children change their lives

EDITOR'S NOTE

"Saigon never sleeps and Saigon night is never enough" is a familiar saying that people and tourists use to describe Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city and economic locomotive of the country. The city is colorful and brilliant at night, with the sounds of people, vehicles, and scenes of entertainment and making a living never stopping.

To serve life after midnight, many people still smile, welcome guests, and collect coins on the sidewalks.

Dan Tri carries out a series of articles about the lives of people who make a living at midnight, to see the life of the city that never sleeps, where opportunities are open to everyone.

Hearing the familiar sound, a child hurriedly ran out and opened the door wide: "Mr. Bau, give me a bowl!".

He did not ask the boy if he wanted it spicy or not, or if he wanted it without bones or ham, because he was proud of knowing every customer's taste.

Responding to the boy’s question with a nod, the man with the aching back quickly turned his bike around and pedaled straight to the noodle stall at the alley entrance. In just a few minutes, he returned with a full bowl of noodles, fragrant with the smell of meat and fried onions.

The job seems easy but is difficult

Mr. Han Ngoc Bau's noodle cart (51 years old, from Phu Tho province) is located at the corner of Cau Cong market (Doan Van Bo street, district 4, HCMC), an easily visible location, so for the past 23 years, it has had many customers coming every day.

According to Mr. Bau, nowadays, noodle carts are usually fixed in one place, mainly selling to passersby. His family is one of the few noodle carts that still exist in the style of one seller, one person riding a bicycle, holding a spoon and hitting a stone pestle, going through every corner to find customers and then bringing the food to the customers.

The noodle cart owner confided that the noodle cart job seemed easy but was actually extremely hard. Before he had a bicycle, he had to walk to carry the noodles a long distance.

On busy days, Mr. Bau's arms and head become "busy", filling three trays with nearly ten bowls of noodles.

At first, he was still unsteady, but gradually, Mr. Bau got used to it. "My highest record is holding 10 bowls of noodles at the same time without ever spilling them on the floor," he said, his eyes showing pride.

Besides that difficulty, Mr. Bau said that he and his wife always have to remember the taste of each customer. Because if there is just a little "off" he will regret losing a regular customer.

In the past, people used to maliciously say that the deliciousness of Hu Tieu Go was due to the presence of rats in the broth. Hearing this, the small traders just shook their heads in dismay.

Mr. Bau’s wife, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thao (47 years old), shared that the delicious broth is due to the seasoning from the seller’s experience. To retain customers, the seller must also know how to invest in other ingredients such as meat, vegetables, etc.

Most importantly, the owner and the processing area must always be neat and clean to have "regular customers". Because for Mrs. Thao, even though it is a street vendor, everything must be "standard". That is also the reason why her husband and wife's noodle stall has existed until today.

Each bowl costs 20,000-25,000 VND. A large portion of the money from the sale has been used to buy ingredients, and Mrs. Thao considers the rest as her profit.

From 8am, the couple gets up to prepare ingredients to set up shop by 3pm. Mrs. Thao's noodle stall will sell at Market 200 on Xom Chieu Street (District 4) until 8pm, then start moving to Cau Cong Market, selling until midnight. Customers come to eat noodle, placing orders continuously, making Mrs. Thao never rest.

"Doing this requires standing all the time, but when I get to rest, I feel sad. Because I only get to rest when sales are slow," Ms. Thao said, laughing.

Street vendor to feed 6 mouths

Back in the countryside, Mr. Bau and his wife got married while they were still working hard in the fields of Phu Tho province.

Farming life was hard, the money he earned could only fill half of his hungry stomach. He asked his parents to let him go to the South to make a living, to escape poverty.

At first, his parents strongly objected. After a few attempts at persuasion, Mr. Bau received a reluctant nod. Then, he and his wife left behind their two newborn children, and asked their parents to raise them.

In 2001, on the bus ride to the south, he and his wife cried silently. Each stretch of road the bus passed made his heart heavier, however, he could only wipe away his tears, occasionally turning his head to look back at the land that had raised him.

Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, he worked as a sidekick at a noodle shop. The money he earned was just enough for him and his wife to survive. Realizing that this would never happen, he quit his job, saved up money to buy a similar noodle cart, and started his own business.

At first, the couple sold from afternoon until 2am. When they got home, his wife counted the money and was disappointed because she only made a profit of 8,000 VND.

"There were nights when I lay there crying, blaming my miserable life. My wife and I also planned to return to our hometown because business was difficult. But then I suddenly remembered my determination to escape poverty when I was sitting on the bus to the South, I remembered my parents' hopeful eyes and the future of my two children. At that time, I knew I couldn't stop, because I didn't want my children to suffer like me," Mr. Bau confided.

After that, Mr. Bau and his wife learned how to adjust the flavor to suit the Southern people. To please their customers, Mr. Bau and his wife always smiled and sincerely responded to each person.

Gradually, the number of customers increased, and the money earned from the noodle stall helped the couple have a stable life. Every month, Mr. Bau and his wife regularly sent money back home to support their parents and two children.

Dream of escaping the wandering life and finding a warm and cozy place

Although over 50 years old, Mr. Bau and his wife have celebrated Tet in their hometown and can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

"Back home, there are so many expenses to worry about. Doing business like this, it's a pity to take a day off. We have to sacrifice to get an education and a place to eat for our parents and children," Ms. Thao confided.

Last year on New Year’s Eve, he and his wife sat next to a half-full pot of broth. The guests were workers who had just finished work and stopped by for a bowl of noodles to warm their stomachs and welcome a better new year.

"Looks like someone is celebrating New Year's Eve with my husband and I," Mrs. Thao joked.

Working non-stop, Mr. Bau and his wife's health is not as good as before. Herniated disc disease also makes his sleep become restless. Mrs. Thao, because of standing a lot, cannot avoid feeling tired and sore on windy or changing weather days.

After nearly 23 years of exile, Mr. Bau and Mrs. Thao have the biggest profit, which is the future of their children. His two children have graduated from university and now work in the field of information technology.

Although the child asked his parents to come back to the countryside many times, Mr. Bau and his wife refused.

"My child only came in here to play once. Because he saw his parents suffering so much, he was so sad that he didn't dare come in again...", Mr. Bau said.

"Win the lottery, buy a house, go back to the countryside", that's how Mr. Bau and his wife briefly expressed their dream.

Speaking of this, Mr. Bau became quiet. He wondered why that dream seemed so far away. Would it ever come to him and his wife after all those years of wandering, selling and buying things?

Mr. Bau quickly turned away, wiping away his tears so his wife wouldn’t see. The man slowly climbed onto his old bicycle. The knocking sound rang out again, and Mr. Bau’s back gradually disappeared into the small alley.

On this side, Mrs. Thao continued to ladle broth into the noodle bowl. White steam rose up, accompanied by a faint aroma.

The woman with gray hair, once again pondered: "23 years have passed, how fast…".

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/dnews/tieng-leng-keng-sau-0h-cua-nguoi-bo-ban-hu-tieu-giup-2-con-doi-doi-20231124182138388.htm